The Heartless Top is exactly the top you should wear to break hearts in (wink, wink). The heart cut-out, which keeps its shape with wire reinforcements, makes this piece a serious statement. Otherwise, it features a simple and clean design with a high neckline, double-knit armhole edgings, and a folded hem for the bottom edge. Turn heads and break hearts in this iconic tank!

Sizes
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (7, 8, 9, 10) detailed below, designed to be worn with 3-5” [7.5-12.5 cm] negative ease.

To fit bust size: 26-28 (28-30, 32-34, 36-38, 40-42, 44-46) (48-50, 52-54, 56-58, 60-62) in [66-71 (71-76, 81-86, 91-97, 102-107, 112-117) (122-127, 132-137, 142-147, 152-157) cm].

Finished bust: 21 (25, 29, 33, 37, 41) (45, 49, 53, 57) in [53.5, (66, 74, 84, 94, 104.5) (114.5, 124.5, 135, 145) cm] unstretched.

Construction: This tank top is knit seamlessly from the top down. Begin by casting on across the back shoulders and working flat down to the underarm. Stitches are picked up along the cast-on edge of the back to work the front shoulders, followed by increasing to join the neckline. The front panel is then knit flat with the heart cutout being incorporated until the front and back are joined under the armholes.

The main body is worked in the round with optional waist shaping and ending with a folded hem. The armholes are finished with a double-knit edging and the neckband is finished with a 1x1 rib folded hem. An applied i-cord edging (with a wire insert recommended) is used to finish off the heart cutout.

All sizes have a recommended body length of 9.25” [23.5 cm] from the underarm through the hem. A longer body will require more yarn than estimated below.

Yarn
443 (504, 567, 637, 701, 775) (845, 910, 990, 1062) yards [404 (460, 518, 582, 640, 707) (771, 831, 904, 970) meters] of worsted- or DK-weight yarn to achieve gauge. You may need more if you are planning to make a longer length tank top, although these yardages already have an extra 10% as buffer. I recommend choosing a fiber that will provide enough elasticity for this style of top, such as a wool or wool/cotton blend.

The red sample was knit in a size 2 and used approximately 1.6 skeins of Hazel Knits Lively DK (90% superwash merino wool, 10% nylon/polyamide, 275yd/251m per 130g skein) in the colorway Ruby Love.

The purple sample was knit in a size 2 and used approximately 1.5 skeins of Dream in Color Classy (100% merino wool, 250yd/229m per 113g skein) in the colorway Lavender Bloom. This sample used less yarn since it was slightly more cropped than the pattern calls for.

Gauge
22 sts and 34 rows in stockinette stitch to 4” [10 cm] on US 5 [3.75 mm] needles or needles needed to obtain gauge, after blocking.

Needles & Notions

• US 5 [3.75 mm] circular needles for working the body, or whatever size needles are needed to achieve gauge as mentioned above. Recommended cable length will vary. I recommend choosing between 16”, 24”, 32”, or 40” needles (depending on your size and preferred method for working in the round).
• US 4 [3.5 mm] circular needles for working the hem and neckline. Recommended cable length will vary, but I recommend choosing a needle with a shorter cable length (closer to 16”) as this needle will only need to span the neckline of the top and other smaller details.
• (Optional, but strongly recommended) 20 gauge [0.88 mm] galvanized steel wire to add structure to the heart cut-out. Note: It is not recommended to machine wash your top if you’ve included wire, but using wire is highly recommended for structural integrity.
• If using wire, wire cutters and pliers are also highly recommended
• Removable stitch markers
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch holder or waste yarn to place stitches on temporarily

Please tag me @midsummer.knits and use the hashtag #HeartlessTop to share your top on Instagram so I can see your finished object!